5 Ways to Prevent Anxiety from Ruining Your Weight Loss

How are you doing? This last month has been a whirlwind of change, and change can bring anxiety and fear, especially when that change comes as a result of a global pandemic. You may be feeling stuck at home, you may be learning how to balance working from home and helping your children navigate online schooling, or you may be an essential worker figuring out how to do your job everyday and still keep your family safe. You may be worrying about or grieving friends and family. You may be sad and disappointed about things that had to be cancelled. 

When you are stressed, your brain will look for any distraction, and one of the brain’s favorite distractions is dopamine. Dopamine is the pleasure hormone. It’s released when your body is exposed to a stimulant, and can even be released when your body perceives that it’s about to be exposed to a stimulant. But the thing with dopamine is that it’s a short-lived pleasure. If you’re looking for long-term satiety you’re going to have to look somewhere else. This is where serotonin comes in. Serotonin is the joy hormone. 

If the stress of the past few weeks is getting to you, or if you find yourself in need of comfort, rather than ploughing through a bag of chips or a whole sleeve of cookies, try these ideas first.

5 Comfort Measures

1. Sit quietly for 10 minutes.

   Find a place to sit quietly, alone, and just breathe for 10 minutes. Feel your breath moving in and out of your body. Feel where you are sitting. Go ahead and feel the uncomfortable feelings: anxiety, fear, grief, disappointment, discouragement. Notice these things and then release them. You can say the word, “Release,” with each exhalation. Then think of three things that you are grateful for. 

2. Make some tea.

   A warm cup of something can help you feel calm and cared for, and taking ten or fifteen minutes to drink it can give you a moment to regroup. Just engaging in the activity of making it can help calm you as well.

3. Go outside.

   Take a 10 minute walk. Breathe deeply. Watch for signs of spring. Engage all five senses.

4. Find a way to move that brings you joy.

   You can try dancing, or jump rope, or yoga, or kickboxing, or walking. Movement releases dopamine, endorphins, AND serotonin for a boost for your brain that can’t be beat.

5. Make chicken soup.

   Really! Make yourself a bowl of real chicken soup, and give your body something comforting and nourishing. 

Ingredients

2 to 3 pound chicken

4 cups chicken bone broth

6 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

2 to 3 cups celery, diced

6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cauliflower

1 teaspoon fish sauce

½ tablespoon parsley

3 tablespoons coconut aminos

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Directions

Fill a large pot with water. Add the chicken and bring to a boil. Decrease heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside.

While the chicken is cooking, cut up your veggies.

In your stockpot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and celery about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and turmeric and sauté another minute or two. 

Add the broth and 6 cups of the water that the chicken was cooked in into the stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook covered for about 10 minutes.

While the broth and veggies are cooking, cut up a cauliflower and pulse several times in a food processor to make “rice.”

Shred the chicken. Add the chicken and cauliflower to the pot along with the remaining ingredients: fish sauce, basil, parsley, coconut aminos, sea salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer and simmer covered until veggies are tender. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Focus on love rather than fear.

All of the heavy things you’re feeling right now are real. These are challenging times, and there are many things that are beyond your control. In the midst of it all, you can choose to focus on love rather than on fear. You can choose to focus on your responses and can let yourself acknowledge what’s hard while concentrating on your goals. 

If you need support to make lifestyle changes to establish good health, TruBalance offices are all equipped for virtual appointments.